The COP 26 Climate Summit will take place in Glasgow from 1st to 12th November 2021. World Environment Day on 5th June 2020 saw the official launch of "Race to Zero", the global COP26 campaign to mobilise leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery from COVID-19. A recovery which creates jobs, unlocks inclusive and sustainable growth, and which reduces the risk of future shocks.

No global city has confronted more brutal shocks than Kolkata in recent weeks. Kolkata must recover from the profound socio economic impacts of both the worst pandemic in a century and its most ferocious cyclone in almost three hundred years.

In its recovery, Kolkata can showcase leadership through strategic innovative solutions which build resilience and cut emissions, while creating green and clean jobs in new industries and technologies.

It is in this backdrop that The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata organized an Online Session on "Building Back Better: Roadmap for Kolkata's Green Recovery" on 16th June 2020. The focus of the webinar was on Kolkata's resilient recovery amidst Covid19 and Cyclone Amphan. Experts from the UK and India talking at the webinar agreed that the UK and India must work together as a force for good for a clean and resilient recovery to combat the impact of Covid19 and climate change.

The session was chaired by Mr Deb A Mukherjee, President Designate, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Managing Director, Cenergist Energy Private Limited. Mr Nick Low, British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, British Deputy High Commission gave the formal welcome address and Mr Gautam Ray, Chairperson, Energy & Environment Committee, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Executive Director (HR & Admin.), CESC Limited delivered the theme address.

The session was graced by Mr. Prabhat Kumar Mishra, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Transport, Government of West Bengal. Other speakers who were from UK & India included Ar. Shakuntala Ghosh, Partner & Principal Architect, Ghosh, Bose & Associates Architects, Ms Naomi Clarke, Sustainability and Climate Change Officer, Dundee City Council, United Kingdom, Mr George Day, Head 'Markets, Policy and Regulation' team and Mr Andrew Stokes, Business Development Manager, Energy Systems Catapult, UK, Dr. Umamaheshwaran Rajasekar, Chair Urban Resilience - Global Resilience Cities Network, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Ms. Divya Sharma, Executive Director, The Climate Group, UK NGO and Mr. A K Saxena, Senior Fellow and Director, Electricity and Fuel Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Mr. Prabhat Kumar Mishra, IAS, Principal Secretary, Dept. of Transport, Government of West Bengal mentioned that the Govt. of West Bengal is committed to embrace E-Mobility. They are going to roll out a large number of E-Buses in Kolkata, Siliguri, Haldia and Durgapur. The Govt. is also looking for Public Private Partnership in building Charging stations across the city.

Mr. Nick Low, British Deputy High Commissioner to Kolkata speaking at the webinar said he was delighted to speak at this webinar with their friends and partners from the Government of West Bengal, Dundee City Council from across Kolkata and of course The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Build Back would start now. He mentioned that they were committed to sustainable and inclusive growth, clean and green jobs in the industries of the future, and to action that puts public health, climate resilience and biodiversity at the heart of what would be done.

Ar. Shakuntala Ghosh mentioned that New Town has managed to achieve 100% waste segregation and management and trying to preserve and restore its wetlands. In its recovery, Kolkata and the Government of West Bengal, local business and academic ecosystem can showcase great leadership through strategic innovative solutions which build resilience and cut emissions, and solutions which create green and clean jobs in new industries and technologies.

Ms. Naomi Clarke, Sustainability and Climate Change Officer, Dundee City Council, United Kingdom mentioned Dundee are pushing ahead with their Climate Action Plan during the Covid-19 pandemic as the timing is critical to avert the Climate Crisis. They are focussing on modelling carbon emissions, awareness raising and continued collaboration to keep the momentum high.. par Discussions include a wide range of urban recovery solutions such as sustainable land-use planning for Kolkata, faster adoption of decentralised waste-to-energy projects, accelerating adoption of electric mobility through integrated transport planning of the city, integrating renewable energy, designing master plan for new plantation drive, introducing climate insurance for infrastructure planning, recognition of greenest wards of the city, strengthening of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Climate Change Cell to name a few.